The following is the press release from the Prime Minister’s Office on the changes to the Cabinet.
The Prime Minister will make several changes to his Cabinet and other appointments. These changes are part of continuing leadership renewal and testing out of younger office holders for broader responsibilities.
The changes will take effect from 1 April 2009, except where indicated otherwise. A tabulation of Cabinet members and other office holders and their portfolios is at Annex A.
CHANGES IN MINISTERIAL APPOINTMENTS
Mr Teo Chee Hean will be appointed as Deputy Prime Minister. He will be the Acting Prime Minister in the absence of the Prime Minister. He will continue as Minister for Defence.
Professor S Jayakumar will relinquish his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister. He will be appointed as Senior Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and will continue as Co-ordinating Minister for National Security. He will also continue to oversee foreign policy matters which cut across different ministries and take charge of foreign policy issues which involve legal negotiation or international adjudication. He continues to chair the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change.
Mr Gan Kim Yong will be appointed as Minister for Manpower.
Mrs Lim Hwee Hua will be appointed as a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office. She will be concurrently appointed as Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for Transport.
APPOINTMENT AS ACTING MINISTER
Mr Lui Tuck Yew, Senior Minister of State, will relinquish his appointment in Education and will be appointed as Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts.
RETIREMENT OF MINISTER
Dr Lee Boon Yang will relinquish his appointment as Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts and retire from the Government. Since being appointed a Parliamentary Secretary in 1985, Dr Lee has served in many portfolios including Environment, Trade and Industry, Finance, Home Affairs, National Development, Defence, and Manpower, before becoming Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts in 2003. The Prime Minister thanks Dr Lee for his many years of service and contributions to the Government and the nation.
CHANGES IN APPOINTMENT OF MINISTERS OF STATE
Mr S Iswaran will be appointed as Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, concurrent with his present appointment of Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Mr Lee Yi Shyan will be appointed as Minister of State in the Ministry of Manpower, concurrent with his present appointment of Minister of State in the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
NEW APPOINTMENT OF PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY
Mr Sam Tan will be appointed as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industry and concurrently in the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts. His appointment takes effect on 1 July 2009.
OTHER APPOINTMENTS
Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed will relinquish his appointment of Mayor, North East Community Development Council when his current 3-year term ends on 30 May 2009. He will continue as Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Mr Teo Ser Luck will be appointed as Mayor, North East Community Development Council with effect from 31 May 2009. This will be concurrent with his appointment as Senior Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and in the Ministry of Transport.
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No use lah, chinese say, ” change soup never change medicine”
Why so many SM in the cabinet ?
So what’s the difference to ordinary folks? What’s the difference to the economy?
Any difference you folks can think?
So finally Teo becomes the DPM unfortunately cannot replace Wong who proved to be too much for LKY to handle. Wong still hold the power over the Lees.
What is the use, change soup never change medicine!!!!!
Replacing old wine into a new bottle it’s not the right solution, despites so many Senior Ministers and goodie Mentor have being anchor to PAP government, GIC and Temasek portfolio still keeps falling down. PAP should turn a new page with all opposition parties and reform the entire political system. Otherwise forthcoming election will not favourable for PAP.
PAP has to apply simple theory during present recession. More ministers, highest salaries and lower performances will not bounce back easily from current recession.
that meas more and more multi million ministers lah…..finally all never retire one – tak about iron ricebowl. GRC to protect them too.
Preparations for GE in full swing! – Heavy weights in place to counter the likes of Gomes, Kin Lians, etc
Potential opposition – please gear up as there is now the purpose contrary to what MM had said. This should be an interesting year.
Just watch and see.
From 1st Apr?? April Fools’ day??
I think the changes in the cabinet appointment is a sign esp for RADM (NS) Teo as DPM that he might take over as PM in the next few years.
They just don’t trust the younger ministers n MPs to run the country.
aiyoyo
4/1 special day??
will there be more walk-in + check-in??
seems like being a elite here is so ez, no need chiong one
compared to usa side…
another sad story
aiyoyo
sarek_home (#11),,
But they trust the experienced ministers to ruin the country?
Sarek,
Considering the fact that RADM (NS) Teo trackrecord is good and he is
a scholar and has been in various ministries. So far only newcomer to the cabinet, RADM (NS) Lui Tuck Yew has been appointed as Acting Minister of MICA.
RM Teo seems a pleasant man.
Breath of fresh air for the stale state – Complacencies , poor timing of investments, high cost of living, lost of jobs, recession, declining exports & tourist arrivals, poor relationship with neighbours, etc
His Civil Service seems to work and his defence ministry is low profile with weapons that can pack punches
Good thing for Singapore.
just a bunch of clowns playing musical chairs
I am disappointed. All mediocres.
Retiree (#15),
Don’t fall for the standard PAP tricks. Teo is still a wolf under a sheep’s clothing. Unlike the other PAP ministers, he is only wearing a different sheep. New soup but same medicine. Singapore has degenerated under PAP and will continue to do so. i suggest you to emigrate to Malaysia and withdraw all your CPF. This country is already forsaken by God.
Wah, another SM. Another multi-million dollar salary. This is a top heavy cabinet which may topple, like Humpty Dumpty, never to be put together again.
Singapore is in the worst recession and instead of tightening budget, we are spending like there is no tomorrow. We dig into our reserves to help needy Singaporeans keep their jobs and not pay another multi-million dollar salary.
PM, the economy is shrinking and getting smaller and yet you need so many MMs, SMs to help you do your job.
Please give Singaporeans a break. The additional multi-million dollar can help to feed thousands of needy and derserving Singaporeans.
One of the reasons why the PM cannot recruit more qualified Singapreans into the government is that the existing ministers and MPs are unwilling to give up their rich salaries and hence, they veto any suitable candidates to preserve their golden eggs.
I like Teo Ser Luck for Mayor of NE CDC. He may need to speak up more though.
let’s hope that he can inject some thing fresh to the CDC policies.
Teo Chee Yuan as DPM seems to me to be an indication that he may be the next PM?
Lui Tuck Yew to me is someone that may need more time in politics. He doesn’t strike me as someone that listens to the ground alot.
This change signals that some heards have rolled or will roll. The impending crisis may also showcase some who are ready to take on more portfolio.
Sam TAn deserves his promotion to Perm Sec as he is someone that speaks from the heart and ground. My former boss at CDAc and I think he is a good man though somewhat too over caring for hisstaff.
Singapore does not need yes men but men who dare to speak from the heart and for the people.
More importantly, he needs to think out of the box and focus on wholeheartedly doing his best for his people and country.
Such a man perhaps can only be found in the minority.
Let us hoep for the best here…overall a good change of cabinet staffing to inject fresh blood and ideas.
I am glad that TCH becomes the DPM. He is a capable man running a well run MIDEF and the Civil Service. He is talented but not arrogant. Good man to lead Singapore.
look at the sheer number of ministers in the Prime Minister Office. epic WIN.
the minister who nearly lost in aljunied grc still working?
i thought he is the one going to retire.
is ms lim consider the first female full minister in the history of singapore?
if so i think people is very proud of her.
call me cynical but Lim Hwee Hua’s ministerial appointment doesn’t count for much – now we have three ministers, including her, in the PMO, which is really just a fancy euphemistic rebranding of the old title – minister without portfolio. To me it just seemed like the most convenient place to place a female minister to stifle the grumblings that there were no full female ministers in the cabinet.
Lee Boon Yang’s retirement from the cabinet was certainly expected, given the theme of leadership renewal. Think that Mah Bow Tan and/or Lim Boon Heng will be the next to go… Along those same lines Teo Ser Luck’s promotion also comes as no surprise, given that he’s basically the poster child of the so-called post-65 MPs – they would have to give at least one (and note, none of his contemporaries holds any political appointment as of yet) of them a more prominent role (not that he hasn’t been popping up everywhere as it already is)
It will be interesting to see if CCK constituency remains as it is now that its MP Gan Kim Yong is a full minister.
To dwsw.
You gotta be kidding
but hope that she will not lose in the next election like last time the first female cabinet member seet ai mei
will there be a female prime minister within 10 years? or first female president within 10 years?
I have not witnessed a step change since Singapore saw rapid growth through industrialisation. That period laid the foundation for Singapore. In the meantime, other countries are catching up with us. Appointing another senior minister is fine. However, as a citizen, I want to see the results and accountability of the current government, alongside such decisions. What was the incremental value Singapore gained from adding more senior posts in the cabinet? Please show us the results.
#6) John
‘Otherwise forthcoming election will not favourable for PAP. ‘
Sorry to disappoint you. The PAP will still win the GE and form the next government. With the GRCs and the kind of electorate here the PAP will win all seats except for the 2 which they need to show to the world that we have democratic elections.
The opposition parties should fight for the abolition of the GRCs which lead to many walkovers which in turn means many citizens cannot exercise their rights to vote. Many citizens including myself had no chance to vote for many, many years. Voting for one’s representative in parliament is a human rights. It is high time our opposition parties bring all these matters to the UN.
Huat ah…better than 8-mths bonus!!!
#27) dwsw
‘but hope that she will not lose in the next election like last time the first female cabinet member seet ai mei’
…………………………………………………..
she is now known as just ‘ ai mei’ because she lost her ‘seat’.
What was the incremental value Singapore gained from adding more senior posts in the cabinet? Please show us the results.
The incremental value is not for us lesser mortals to enjoy. It is for those with concurrent appointments to enjoy double pay, and those with SM titles to have pay increment. Who says that after cutting ministers’ pay due to drop in GDP will affect their actual take-home pay?
hope that ms lim will come out to fight under a smc and not under grc.
if she fight under smc then we can really see that she is capable or not to be the first female full minister.
last time seet ai mei also fight in bukit gombak smc but lose to opposition.
ms lim will you come to fight in buit batok under smc?
give me a chance to vote.
but i will not tell you who i will vote. because voting is secret.
if ms lim you win i think this means you are capable to be the first female full minister.
As education i/c, had probs. with sc hoolsgirls wanting to wear batman uniforms. As defence i/c, the doc. overdosed on the loop.
Next, what would he jinx as the DPM?
Pray for him and hope he prays for good governance of our belovad nation.
I am surprised so many pple like Teo Chee Hean. I find him snobbish though. He is among the top 3 cabinet ministers I dislike most. Maybe its just me.
why on earth do we need another SM?!
What happened to Vivian Balakrishnan?? I would expect him to be promoted or at least mentioned for some change. He’s one of the popular MPs. Haha!
From reading the above postings, it is evident that Singapore is filled with more and more cynical people that are only interested in making remarks or criticizing for the sake of doing it (but often without any qualifying knowledge of what they are criticizing).
Give them good news or bad news, they will have their views, sometimes contradicting, often negative without substance and mostly unconstructive without good alternative or suggestions offered (but yet they will always hide behind their usual convenient excuse of freedom to express, but obviously without any sense of responsibility).
People who exalt freedom of expression in everything they say are in fact the very people that will whack and put you down at all cost if you do disagree with their views and then claimed it as their rights and freedom to do so (but never bother to respect others’ freedom of expressions). They are in fact much more dictatorial than many of the “authoritarians” they like to attack.
I may not agree and had criticized (through direct feedback and suggestions to the various ministries) many policies of PAP, but given the circumstances and available alternatives, they are still the only one capable of really governing Singapore as a country to compete and survive in the increasing volatile global situations.
Until we have a mature and objective opposition whose interest is in Singapore and its citizens, and are focus on doing the right thing rather than simply working at pleasing public opinions who are often misguided and wayward for personal gains or interests, PAP is very unfortunately, the only choice (or may I say no choice) I can make for the next general election.
Singapore is where I continue to belong to, whether or not it is govern by PAP!
Wonder if this is the Father’s dictat or the Son’s choices?
Instead of still keeping 2 DPMs, WKS should now be sacked. There’s too much cockups despite so much redundancy in the Cabinet. What happened to Lean concepts?
#39-” but given the circumstances and available alternatives, they are still the only one capable of really governing Singapore as a country to compete and survive in the increasing volatile global situations.
Until we have a mature and objective opposition whose interest is in Singapore and its citizens, and are focus on doing the right thing rather than simply working at pleasing public opinions who are often misguided and wayward for personal gains or interests, PAP is very unfortunately, the only choice (or may I say no choice) I can make for the next general election.”
The trouble we didnt have good people is people like you, who always think the PAP is the only one to govern, and who never give the Opp a chance. In 1959, wasn’t the PAP also just starting off the blocks? People have to start somewhere, and the Opp parties are no exception.
I think by identifying the GRC/SRC each member of the reshuffled Cabinet comes from, we might be able to deduce the new election boundary map for GE 2011.
We now have 1 MM, 2SM’s, many Minister-of-State,1 Minister w/o Portfolio, 1 Minister-in-PMO.
Looks like a very heavily-loaded Cabinet.
A lot is paid for their salaries.
Why does the PM needs another Minister is his office?
What exactly isher duty?
#39
“they are still the only one capable of really governing Singapore as a country to compete and survive in the increasing volatile global situations.”
Really? are you sure about this? Hey, didn’t you read what LHL says…that our recovery will depend on US recovery…so our competitive edge and survivability depends on others and not our dear old MIW…so even if they are around, but US is down, we will still be in deep s..t. So are you another of those popper who pops by to sing praises, even though it sounds so hollow?
whoever be the DPM I still need to worry about my job….what’s the difference? on the other hand, bu promoting more minister to senior minister it shows that the still value old people…;-0
Now we have SM jaya and DPM Teo to watch over Wong the ninja turtle whom the Lees dare not persecute over the Mat Selamat affair. What a waste of national resources.
Dear #Smallvice,
TQ for your views.
On your suggestion for me to migrate to Malaysia, – no never on my mind to leave my birthplace. I can suggest on a proper platform – how Singapore can solve its senior housing problems. “Stay and contribute” is complementary to my “duty , honour, country” motto, no matter what.
On RM Teo, – do keep an open mind. He may make it to be the next PM despite his age and the public comments of MM. At the long haul scenario, for the next power succession after LHL, there may be 2 PMs before a familar sir name may come along.
Just my 2 cts opinion and tongue in cheek crystal balling to liven up chats and to stimulate bloggers’ intellect to raise their standard….
I am ok with Teo Chee Hean so far. Granted it’s hard to maintain Tony Tan’s standards when he took over, and the ministry of defence had to handle quite a few issues ranging from marine collision, army soldiers’ deaths, (which I felt preventive actions should have been taken from the start), I think the followups made deserved commendations. I would however, like to see him demonstrate an unambiguous outstanding achievement, over and above what he currently does to be concvinced of a PM appointment.
#39 I have to disagree.
It’s the leaders who do not tolerate divergent views nor listen to the citizenry.
And you extoll them on a pedestal (but you are surely entitled to your views) in my opinion. Most of them where not elected (GRC backdoor) ministers.
And I don’t think they are half as capable as they claim.
The climate that they have created after more than 4 decades or rule has stiffled a healthy pool of talented people who are otherwise wiling to take public office to serve the good of the People we call Singaporeans. Yes it’s the fault of the Voters who have handed this right to chop, change and mould as they deem fit.
Most citizens are too disillusioned, disenchanted in disbelieve and have deep distrust of our democratic system (if it still can be called that).
Ask yourself this. If the climate was fairer, do you think there would be others outside the PAP standing to be elected? I do.
We are in this Together. We need to change this place. But with people like you that have closed your eyes, ears and heart to the real plight, issues and peeves of the populace, we won’t go far.
A MATURE OPPOSITION STARTS WITH YOU AND I.